Pozsonyi, Kriszta: Travel Grant - 2016-2017

College:

Graduate School

Department:

Performing and Media Arts

Project Title:

Bedtime (Hi)Story: The Hungarian TV Teddy Bear

Project Abstract:

A staple of Hungarian television, the stop-motion animation figure "TV Teddy Bear" (Tévémaci) first appeared on the Hungarian Television channel (MTV) in 1963 and stayed–in changing forms–with generations of TV-watching children for the next five decades. However, in spite of its longevity and massive popularity, Tévémaci has not enjoyed much scholarly attention, partly due to a dearth of academic literature on Hungarian television. By conducting research in a number of archives in Budapest, including that of MTV, and by interviewing people who worked for the Children's Programming Division of the channel, I will gain crucial insight into the fifty-year-long history of not only Tévémaci but also Hungarian television and culture.